U.S. And E.E.C. To Be Equal Partners

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29798, 14 April 1962, Page 11

U.S. And E.E.C. To Be Equal Partners

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) WASHINGTON, April 13. President Kennedy and the head of the European Common Market agreed yesterday on the desirability of co-operation between the United States and the market on an equal partnership basis.

The president of the Council of the European Economic Community. Dr. W alter Hallstein. met Mr Kennedy. The White House later issued a joint communique which said: “They agreed that the continuing evolution of a strong, closely-knit European entity presents to statesmen of the West a historic opportunity to build an Atlantic partnership founded on the close co-operation between two equal partners." The communique said the President congratulated Dr. Hallstein “on successful first steps toward establishment of a common agricultural policy and recognising a common approach to agriculture is essential in the construction of an integrated Europe.” It added, however, that the President “emphasised the importance of agricultural exports to the trade of the United States and other free world countries, and repeated his expectation that the community would take these factors into account." The communique said that tn this respect, the President referred to the special responsibility of the highlyindustrialised powers, such as the United States and the European Economic Community to work for free and non-diseriminatory access to their markets for the products of developing nations In Latin America. Africa and Asia. Dr. Hallstein affirmed his support for the President’s trade programme and its objectives of reducing barriers to trade, on a non-discrimin-a’orv basis, between the United States and the European Economic Community. “The President and Dr. Hallstein agreed that a programme of this nature promises great strength and cohesion to the West." the communique said. Dr. Hallstein spoke last night at Georgetown University. restating his endorsement of Mr Kennedy’s move for greater authority to reduce tariffs. He said in his prepared speech that Europe "is especially happy that the United States has decided to reject economic isolationism, for it

would no more fit the times than political isolationism.” This was a courageous decision. Dr. Hallstein said, adding “it will bring its own rewards of great importance to America.” He warned that if the United States and the Common Market could not be partners, they might drift apart "bickering instead of bargaining."